POF Bicol-ST qualifier gets going in Naga

NAGA – The Bicol-Southern Tagalog Qualifying Games of the second Philippine Olympic Festival opens today starting with action in centerpiece athletics and football at the Metro Naga Sports Complex here.

Host City Mayor Jessie Robredo will declare the five-day meet open at the city plaza before top sports officials headed by Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. and chair Robert Aventajado and participating delegations from the two regions.

“We’re on the final stage of our qualifying legs and we’re happy to be here in Naga City,” said Aventajado.

Cavite was the first delegation to arrive Sunday followed by Laguna, Rizal, Batangas, Quezon, Masbate, Sorsogon, Albay and Camarines Norte.

Host Naga City and Camarines Sur are expected to field in the biggest delegations with hopes of contending for the overall championship in this event backed by Globe, The Philippine STAR, Accel, Asia Brewery, Negros Navigation, AMA Computer College and Creativity Lounge.

Archery, baseball, basketball, chess, judo, karatedo, muay thai, sepak takraw, table tennis and wrestling open tomorrow in various venues within the city while medal-rich aquatics and indigenous arnis come off the wraps Friday. Gymnastics, powerlifting and taekwondo unfold Saturday.

Track and field will stake at least eight gold medals in Day 1 with organizers hoping to produce another Jami Dawn Henares, a Fil-Canadian Bacolod City-based runner who was impressive in the Visayas leg last month in Iloilo City.

“We hope there could be more like her,” said Aventajado of the 15-year-old Henares, who has a Filipino father and a Ukraine-born Canadian mother.